"Staying in this United States of Western America is simply a waste of my life!"
"Lives are constantly fading away on this land, yet you don't plan to eradicate the root cause of the disease, and even hinder my action to treat this war—no, the current you are the greatest disease in front of me!"
The pink-haired Nightingale, dressed in a red military uniform, stared expressionlessly at the three Servants around her.
Hearing this, a muscular man with a lion head stared at her in disbelief:
"Angel of Crimea! Why would you, with such a beautiful appearance, say such vicious words?! Wasting life staying in the United States of Western America... that's too much!"
Feeling somewhat aggrieved, Edison (President Lion) couldn't help looking at Karna and Helena Blavatsky beside him, hoping to get their support.
Karna: "..."
The Little Sun chose to remain silent.
"Cough cough, in fact, I also think what Florence (Nightingale) said is a bit too much. After all, it's precisely because of the United States of Western America that this era hasn't completely collapsed, isn't it?"
Helena, stared at by Edison alone, was helpless and had to cough twice and say.
Helena wasn't wrong. Although Edison, this capitalist, didn't treat people as humans, it was precisely because of his appearance that this era and America didn't collapse straight away.
"But Mr. Edison wants to personally create a collapse of the same nature but different form after the war ends."
Nightingale looked at Edison expressionlessly.
"What nonsense! I just want to create an America that lasts forever. What did I do wrong? Patriotism is not a crime!"
Edison widened his lion eyes, roaring at the sky.
"So other eras will be destroyed by your willful decision... I said long ago, patriots like this will only lead everything to destruction."
Saying this, Nightingale turned to look at Karna, saying seriously:
"Please take out my gun. I need to treat this guy with an unclear mind properly."
Her pistol was confiscated by Karna.
"...Sorry. If your treatment means resolving Edison with a gun, forgive me for not being able to comply."
Karna looked silently at Nightingale with a pure smile, unable to help holding his forehead and sighing.
Although Nightingale was upright, and what she said and did wondrously pointed directly to the "crux," only this self-talk boosted by Mad Enhancement (EX) was headache-inducing.
Unless aligned with her thoughts, she wouldn't listen to anything.
"Tsk!"
Nightingale turned her head away in dissatisfaction.
...You definitely just "tsk-ed," right?
Karna was even more silent.
"Pity the most effective treatment for you is sealed. Otherwise, treating you on the spot would also be a good choice."
Nightingale said with slight regret.
Edison puzzled: "What treatment method?"
"Gun. Florence means beating you up can cure you."
Helena answered casually.
"Correct. For severe patients like Mr. Edison, ordinary language therapy is useless. Must use heavy punches."
Nightingale nodded in agreement.
"Oh oh oh oh! This is impossible! Under the protection of layers of mechanical infantry, and with Karna by my side, who can harm me?"
Edison laughed loudly at the sky, his voice echoing through the entire palace, looking at Nightingale with eyes full of pride.
"Angel of Crimea, you'd better be obedient..."
Edison smiled with victory in hand, smiling, smil...
The voice suddenly decreased, until it stopped abruptly—
Edison looked straight ahead, sweating profusely.
Only to see a figure holding a flag in the left hand and a long sword in the right hand, appearing in this palace under layers of protection at some point.
Standing right in front of them, behind Nightingale, looking at them calmly.
"—Who is it?!"
Karna reacted much faster than Edison, already summoning his spear of light and posing against Takumi.
Helena's speed wasn't slow either, taking out her grimoire and casting a serious gaze.
But judging from the cold sweat on her face, she obviously wasn't as calm internally as she appeared.
Only then did the mechanical soldiers standing in the palace react.
"An ordinary Master from Chaldea, here hoping Edison joins our team."
Takumi, pointed at by guns from a large group of people, was very calm, looking at Edison seriously and saying.
Acting as if he wasn't deep in enemy lines.
While Takumi spoke, the Command Spells on his chest lit up a few times, verifying his identity.
Stalemate for a second or two, the atmosphere gradually eased.
It was [Heart of Fire] exerting force.
Under the mental connection, the Servants already had a general understanding of Takumi and clearly knew the other party wasn't lying.
Karna and Helena breathed a sigh of relief, lowering the weapons aimed at Takumi.
The group of mechanical soldiers also lowered their guns under Edison's manual signal.
"Cough cough, I won't ask how you suddenly appeared here for now... Shouldn't you join my team? I am the King of Presidents!"
Recovering his senses, Edison coughed twice, unable to help emphasizing.
"You are with Geronimo and the others, right? Quickly help me beat up this lion head. His condition will definitely be cured after a beating!"
Before Takumi could respond, Nightingale said to Takumi with shining eyes.
Saying this, she even pointed at Edison's face.
Edison: "..."
Looking at this Nightingale who had no "lion" in her eyes, Edison had black lines all over his head.
Takumi appeased Nightingale whose hands were itching, then said:
"...In fact, if Mr. Edison's idea could change from isolating America of this era from the world using the Holy Grail's power to recovering the Holy Grail and exiting safely, I would be happy to join your team."
"Impossible! My patriotic heart is burning ragingly. Creating an eternal America is my lifelong wish!"
Edison waved his big hand, refusing decisively.
Facing Edison's decisiveness, Karna and Helena aside didn't even have time to interrupt.
Could only silently tighten their grip on their respective weapons.
"That's why I said let you join my team..."
Takumi was helpless.
"Talk collapsed. Want to fight?"
As expected, Nightingale was eager to try.
Although the conversation only lasted a sentence or two, it indeed collapsed.
Takumi also didn't think his clumsy self could say any beautiful words to wake up the dreamer with one remark.
So...
"Of course—"
Voice hadn't fallen when Takumi's figure disappeared instantly.
The next instant.
Hum——!
Clang!
Two sounds rang out almost simultaneously.
Under the softly humming and trembling Brahmastra, Helena, who had just opened her grimoire, had cold sweat flowing down her temples, slowly raising her hands in a French salute.
And behind Takumi, Karna's spear of light burning with divine fire was firmly blocked by a faint golden light in a sweeping posture.
Karna was silent.
The group of mechanical soldiers were at a loss, completely failing to understand what happened, only able to look at each other and choose to hold their ground.
"Miss Helena, you are out. Can I trouble you not to make a move anymore?"
Takumi looked at Helena and said seriously.
"No problem!"
Helena gently pushed away Brahmastra almost touching her face, saying very decisively.
Then walked behind Nightingale in two or three steps, finally breathing a sigh of relief.
Just now, she almost thought she would be hacked to death by a sword!
"..."
Seeing this, Karna also silently retracted his long spear, seeming to give up the idea of continuing to attack.
While Edison watching from the side looked at the two in disbelief.
"Why did you two—did you both betray me?!"
Edison roared in grief.
"Sigh, this is not betrayal, but this battle is meaningless, Edison."
Karna sighed, saying helplessly.
"How can it be meaningless? You are Karna! Just a Master, shouldn't be your opponent, right!"
"Don't know if you felt it, the temperature here has risen a lot?"
Karna didn't answer but asked a seemingly irrelevant question.
The mechanical soldiers looked at each other again. They were ordinary people, just encased in mecha. Now they already showed signs of sweating.
"What's wrong? Isn't it caused by your flames?"
Edison didn't understand. Once Karna acted, it was normal for the temperature in such a space to rise.
"Look carefully again."
Hearing this, although Edison still didn't understand, he still looked around carefully obediently.
Only then did he discover that faint Rune characters were floating everywhere in the entire palace.
"This..."
Edison opened his mouth.
"If I fight this Master with full strength, everyone here except me will die... maybe even I will die at his hands in the end."
Seeing Edison discover the problem, Karna explained.